Noa Snir visualises mental disorders through her series of minimalist linocut prints

Illustrator Noa Snir’s black and white linocut series explores psychological disorders, phobias and syndromes through pared-back interpretations. The project first came to life as an A5 publication a couple of years ago and Noa has continued with the project since, which has led to an exhibition of the prints in O! Galeria in Porto opening this week.

“As the illustrations were first hand-pulled offset prints, it felt natural to make an exhibition of them,” explains Noa. For the show the illustrator has developed a new batch of prints, portraying some “lesser known mental illnesses” to sit alongside the existing ones. Taking the project outside of the confines of a zine, it’s allowed Noa to expand the dimensions of the prints and “play around” with the technique.

“There is something about linocutting which is more restrained in nature because of the limitations of the technique,” says Noa. “It is very different from how I usually work, and forces me to be very exact in my expression, in order to reduce complicated ideas to simple one-colour images.” In contrast to previous projects we’ve shared on the site, where intricate patterns and rich colour palettes are the norm, Noa has stripped back everything to concentrate on figure and form, while carefully considering the content of her images. “I’ve found [this approach] served the subject matter quite well in this case. I wanted to reduce the images to a necessary minimum, while still remaining communicative. So for me this has been a lesson in minimalism.”

Noa Snir: Disorder

The project is rooted in research, which has involved Noa looking into various disorders online and poring over the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), as well as speaking to friends working in psychology. “I discovered so many things I had no idea existed – the human psyche really is capable of everything,” says the illustrator. “I come from a family where mental illness is common on both sides and I’ve been concerned about the probability of being affected… I have to admit reading about the topic had a calming effect on me. Educating myself proved to be a very healthy, fear-reducing tactic for me.”

“My initial goal was to create an easy-to-understand book for anyone interested in the topic of mental health, from doctors to patients and family members,” Noa continues. “There’s a certain level of humour in the images, which makes the sombre subject matter more approachable. If it can promote an open discussion about mental well-being, I would feel happy and accomplished.”

For the show, and for the first time, Noa plans not to show the book side-by-side with the prints. “I want the images to stand out on their own, without needing the crutches of a textual explanation. There will be an index for context, but I’d like to prolong the time between the viewer seeing the disorder and then reading about it,” she explains. “I think many of the images I created can be read in numerous ways, as they hold symbolic meaning independent of their texts.”

It is obvious by the amount of times we write about Patrick Kyle that we have a major crush on his illustration style. Over the past few years Patrick’s aesthetic has shifted slightly, reducing his full colour digital works to more pared-back illustrations. Yet, the illustrator’s fluid line work means you always recognise a drawing by him.

Liam Cobb has been keeping busy over the past year to complete his small-yet-anecdotal collection of comics. Having previously featured his past publication Shampoo, his recent offering, and brilliantly named, Conditioner is filled with as much wit, charm and beauty as its predecessor.

Artist and illustrator Nathaniel Russell’s latest series sees him adopting the woodcut technique to create a series of the kind of propaganda posters you might find in a kindergarten classroom, a doctor’s office or recruiting station. “It’s like propaganda for the cosmic, wondrous and the human,” says Nathaniel. “They also serve as reminders for me personally to be better and do more to become the kind of person I want to be!”

Jack Taylor, a British illustrator and graphic artist working in Berlin, has spent the past couple of years progressing and defining his practice. We last featured Jack in 2014, where he gave us an insight into his day-to-day with book making, editorial illustrations and, most importantly, storytelling. He’s since worked hard to develop his method and realised what inspires him the most is travelling.

“The backbone of my illustration practice is really analogue printing,” Marc Hennes explains. “Doing linocuts taught me how to use the limited flat space you have as an illustrator, because once you cut then thats it – no correction. It also taught me how to simplify things, as it is such a rough technique.”

Ram Han’s candy-coloured illustrations depict a dreamscape straight out of Alice’s Wonderland, where nothing is quite what it seems. Sexual fantasies are interrupted by super-sized voyeurs; a texting girl is shadowed by a partner whose face has been replaced by a swirling galaxy; a table serves up a Furby which seems to have been skinned and taken apart piece by piece. “The surreal-ness always comes from the real stimulation,” the Seoul-based illustrator explains. “It could be based on emotions, or abstract ideas, but it has to come from my very personal experience. However the most important goal is to create something that leaves an impression, rather than something to be analysed.”